Should Cedar Fair incorporate NFC, and use a system similar to magic bands like at Disney?

[Tr0y]

I really like the idea of Cedar Fair switching to NFC system that works with magic bands, smart watches or smartphones like Disney.

-No more waiting in line to get a wrist band for all day drink, dining, fast passes. This works two fold as no more hold ups at the registers at food concessions for wrist bands to be redeemed.

-Be able to scan your band or watch your band at the station before getting into a row and the band being linked to your pass and like park visits can track what you have ridden, and keep count how many times. 

-No more hold ups at the gate for parking for people who struggle to have their bar code scanned.

-No more hold ups at the registers for scanners not working from the sun, or simply just not working at all.

-Collector bands people can buy, peanuts themed bands, bands themed of our favorite rides / coasters.

-Computer Kiosks placed around the park, to purchase add ons, eliminating the need to walk back to the front gate. Also replacing workers which saves on salaries.

I’m sure they’re are more creative ideas that can be brought up that can benefit from switching to an NFC system like Disney. 

[Aaron88stang]

This would be cool but has the cost come down to a level where it makes sense for CF? Didn't Disney spend something like a billion to implement Magic Bands at WDW a decade ago. 

[beastfan11]

In theory, yes. But I don’t think they have the ability to manage a system like that. 

[jsus]

Of course I want the ability to tap my phone or watch to use my season pass.  Who wouldn't want this?  Why?  Unless you think they'd force everyone to use it, but that would cost them more for physical cards with RFID chips (since they probably can't get away with eliminating all physical cards at this time).

They already have NFC support for payments - they accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.  That means they already have the hardware on the payment terminals attached to the POS units to read NFC passes.  They already have park app and Apple Wallet support for season passes, it just currently relies on 2D barcodes (QR codes).  It's just software at this point to grab the pass info and seamlessly apply the applicable discount/meal plan/drink plan.  Essentially, all that needs to happen is that instead of using the barcode scanner to retrieve the pass number, the payment terminal grabs it from your phone/watch.

Another feature they really ought to have implemented by now (unless they've just done so recently and I haven't noticed), is to implement Apple Wallet's feature to suggest passes based on location.  When I'm at meijer or Starbucks, for instance, I get a notification on my phone and watch lock screens to instantly pull up the loyalty card.  It's right there when I need it.  At Cedar Fair parks, I have to pull up my wallet and then find the pass.  Plus with parking, admissions, dining, drinks, and merch discounts, you're looking for your pass several times each visit.  It's only a couple seconds, and it's a little thing, but for a software developer, it's a really little thing to do.  Just program in the coordinates.

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/walletpasses/pass/locations

Really, there's no reason besides a nominal cost to keep them from implementing NFC support for season passes, even if they keep the barcodes on the physical cards.  Get on with it, Cedar Fair, it's 2023.

[BoddaH1994]

Would love it, but the Magic Band program cost about 5x the budget. Granted, it’s been some time. 
 

Here’s the other question: if we are doing NFC, why waste time and resources on that? Run the benefits through your pass or ticket and have the NFC on your phone or watch do the functionality. Disney does both, so I suppose CF could too. 
 

Im a big fan of it at Disney and I think it could work very well at other chains.

[Taylor.B03]

IICR. I saw last year in one of Cedar Fair's press releases, they are working on a complete app redesign/overhaul. It will be interesting what will come out of it. It could help enable them to do more things like this in the future with a more modern app. 

[DoomPlague]

Not necessarily related to NFC but I've been thinking for a while that we're to a point where everyone in the park (single day or passholder) should probably just have a wristband that gives them all of their add-ons (except probably FL as that's more likely to slow things if those have to be scanned). Could even be used to access the free SteVe lockers and the like.

Side note: it seems almost inevitable that I get stuck behind people struggling to scan their phone at the parking gate or front gate. Not that I'm that impatient but the cards weigh nothing and take no significant space.

[CoasterJack]

2 hours ago, Taylor.B03 said:

IICR. I saw last year in one of Cedar Fair's press releases, they are working on a complete app redesign/overhaul. It will be interesting what will come out of it. It could help enable them to do more things like this in the future with a more modern app. 

 

I saw this too. I'm thinking a new app would work better with mobile ordering. It sounded like that was part of the intention, along with promoting other food items, attractions and activities. 

[Stoan]

On 8/8/2023 at 6:26 PM, DoomPlague said:

Not necessarily related to NFC but I've been thinking for a while that we're to a point where everyone in the park (single day or passholder) should probably just have a wristband that gives them all of their add-ons (except probably FL as that's more likely to slow things if those have to be scanned). Could even be used to access the free SteVe lockers and the like.

Side note: it seems almost inevitable that I get stuck behind people struggling to scan their phone at the parking gate or front gate. Not that I'm that impatient but the cards weigh nothing and take no significant space.

I've started carrying my physical card again for these reasons. Not too mention with the premium parking it's easier for the guards at the post to just see the black prestige card and wave me in without needing to stand up. The cards are just better at scanning than the phone.

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

My family stayed at Breakers at Cedar Point last week.  We did multiple days at the park.  When we checked in, we were given "receipt like" printouts for each family member.  These served as our ticket to the park each day and to get our drink wristbands each day.  Needless to say, those generic white pieces of paper were very important.  This is a step backward from where things were 20 years ago where you had an obvious ticket for each person for each day.

Also, when leaving the park and needing later re-entry, they take your picture and give you another very generic receipt-like printout to get back in.  The printouts have nothing but a QR code on them, so as a family you have to keep them separate and write on them to identify which one is which person.  I understand that this is more secure than the old hand stamp system, but it is a major step backwards in convenience.

I agree that all of this should be do-able using the app somehow. 

[Stoan]

9 hours ago, Pagoda Gift Shop said:

  I understand that this is more secure than the old hand stamp system, but it is a major step backwards in convenience.

I agree that all of this should be do-able using the app somehow. 

They can't lose out on those half dozen people every year that try to cheat the hand-stamp and get into the park by inconveniencing half a million others

[Tr0y]

One of the coolest features at Disney is being able to use my Smartwatch for lightning entrances:

 

[BoddaH1994]

49 minutes ago, Tr0y said:

One of the coolest features at Disney is being able to use my Smartwatch for lightning entrances:

 

Woah. I do that all the time and I didn’t know it made an animation! Does it do it when you scan into the parks too?

[jzarley]

1 hour ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Woah. I do that all the time and I didn’t know it made an animation! Does it do it when you scan into the parks too?

I never realized that either! I always have the watch face up against the reader instead of to the side like tr0y has it in the video. I’ve always heard the sound but never realized  it was doing an animation too :-)

[BoddaH1994]

36 minutes ago, jzarley said:

I never realized that either! I always have the watch face up against the reader instead of to the side like tr0y has it in the video. I’ve always heard the sound but never realized  it was doing an animation too :-)

I’m always torn. The speed is way better with your watch but I also enjoy the novelty of MB+.

[Tr0y]

18 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Woah. I do that all the time and I didn’t know it made an animation! Does it do it when you scan into the parks too?

Yes! It also does an animations using the wallet app on your iphone:  

 

[BoddaH1994]

56 minutes ago, Tr0y said:

Yes! It also does an animations using the wallet app on your iphone:  

 

That’s so cool! I just got back from WDW so I wish I had seen this a few days ago. I’ll have to check it out next time!

[Tr0y]

It appears at least for Carowinds they’re attempting to do something similar for Fast Lane. With the exception of it requiring to use your QR code on the band to scan. 

[DJSkyFoxx]

7 hours ago, Tr0y said:

It appears at least for Carowinds they’re attempting to do something similar for Fast Lane. With the exception of it requiring to use your QR code on the band to scan. 

This looks vaguely similar to the system Cedar Point used to use. There was still a line sep but you had to scan your wristband under a QR Code/Barcode reader. Is this the same concept?